Bad News for Twinkie Lovers: In the Non-TV Story of the Day, the New Owner of the Venerable Snack Food Has Tinkered With the Twinkie

The good news is that the Twinkie is back. The bad news: It’s not the same. The Associated Press reports that the company that now owns the Hostess brand has tinkered with the Twinkie, and the new version is smaller.

The new Twinkie reportedly weighs in at 38.5 grams per cake — down from the previous 42.5 grams. Understandably, it’s also lower in calories — about 135 each, down from 150.

The new owner apparently isn’t prepared to own up to tweaking the beloved snack food.

"A spokeswoman for Hostess, Hannah Arnold, said in an email Monday that the size change was made in ‘mid-2012′ by the predecessor company. That would mean it happened in the months leading up to its bankruptcy, as the company was trying to keep its head above water financially," the story reports. "Arnold has also said that the longer shelf life of Twinkies reported by The AP earlier this month was made by the predecessor company right before it went bankrupt. The 45-day shelf life, up from 26 days, was a separate change and hit shelves Nov. 1, she said."

The report notes that the new company is cutting operating costs by no longer using unionized workers.

"For retailers who request it, the company also said it’s freezing Twinkies so stores can stamp their own expiration dates on them," the piece reports.

The report notes: "Twinkies and other snack cakes were purchased by private equity firms Apollo Global Management and Metropoulos & Co. after Hostess Brands said it was closing down in November. The firms are known for fixing up struggling brands."

Hostess has indicated that the price will remain the same, $3.99 for a box of 10 Twinkies.